Dispensing container for rolled sheet material

ABSTRACT

A dispensing container for rolled sheet material includes a receptacle portion having a front wall and an open top, the front wall being provided with a transverse slot therein through which the free end of the roll of sheet material is issued and, along the bottom edge of the front wall, there is a cutting edge device for severing the sheet material. A cover assembly is provided which includes a front cover wall portion which partially covers the front wall of the receptacle portion and overlies the slot to sandwich the free end portion of the sheet material between it and the front wall of the receptacle portion and, prior to use, the cover assembly is provided with a sealing and protecting extension joined to the front cover wall portion of the cover assembly along a line of perforations and which extends downwardly and below the cutting edge member and is adhesively secured to the underside of the package. The front wall member of the receptacle portion is provided with a reinforced upper free edge portion immediately above the slot.

United States Patent [191 Schiano et a1.

[111 3,790,053 [451 Feb. 5, 1974 DISPENSING CONTAINER FOR ROLLED SHEET MATERIAL [76] Inventors: Antoinette Schiano; Rosemary Schiano, both of 261 76th St., Brooklyn, NY. 11209 [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 214,180

[52] US. Cl. 225/48, 225/51 Mounts VanDyke et a1.

Primary Examiner-Andrew R. Juhasz Assistant Examiner'Leon- Gilden [57] ABSTRACT t A dispensing container for rolled sheet material includes a receptacle portion having a front wall and an open top, the front wall being provided with a transverse slot therein through which the free end of the roll of sheet material is-issued and, along the bottom edge of the front wall, there is a cutting edge device for severing the sheet material. A cover assembly is provided which includes a front cover wall portion which partially covers the front wall of the receptacle portion and overlies the slot to sandwich the free end portion of the sheet material between it and the front wall of the receptacle portion and, priorto use, the cover assembly is provided'with a sealing and protecting extension joined to the front cover wall portion of the cover assembly along a line of perforations and which extends downwardly and below the cutting edge member and is adhesively'secured to the underside of the package. The front wall member of the receptacle portion is provided with a reinforced upper free edge portion immediately above the slot.

5 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures Pmmwrm 3.790.053

FIG. I

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The dispensing packages for rolled sheet material, particularly as such material is presently provided, do not allow the material to be dispensed and severed easily. In particular, with present day foils and the like which are extremely thin, there is a tendency for the sheet material to bunch as it is pulled from the dispensing container and it is difficult to sever the material and otherwise to obtain a clean line of severance. Some materials, such as aluminum foil, tend easily to tear and other materials such as conventional thin film wrapping and self-sealing materials tend inordinately to bunch toward the area of the free end edge thereof which is gripped and otherwise to pleat or fold longitudinally from their opposite side edges which makes severance difficult. Futhermore, it is often encountered that the roll sheet material ends up as a complete roll'within the dispensing container and presents no free end edge readily manipulated and engaged for the next dispensing operation.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF'THE INVENTION from the roll and always is presented readily for grasping and further manipulation by the user.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an improved packaging and dispensing container according to the present invention showing same prior to opening for use;

FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of one end portion of the packaging and dispensing container showing the cover assembly lifted;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged transverse section taken substantially along the plane of section line 3-3 in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but illustrating the assembly ready for use.

DETAILEDDESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION With reference to the drawings, thepackagingand dispensing container according to the present invention is indicated therein generally by the reference character and includes basically a receptacle portion 12, a cover assembly-l4 and a sealing and protecting extension 16 of the cover assembly, as will be described hereinafter.

The receptacle portion is of generally rectangular form and includes 'a bottom wall member 18, a rear wall member 20, the opposite end wall members 22 and 24 and a front wall member 26. These various wall members are joined together as shown and present an open-topped receptacle for receiving a roll of sheet material such as wrapping foil, self-adhering sheet material and/or the like of the types currently available for kitchen and other uses.

The front wall member 26 is provided with an elongate transverse slot 28 which extends substantially from one end wall member 22 to the other end wall member 24 and which is disposed parallel to butspaced upwardly from the bottom wall member 18 of the receptacle portion as may be seen best in FIGS. 2-4. The roll of sheet material indicated generally by the reference character R has its free end portion 30 threaded through the slot 28 so as to extend downwardly therefrom in overlying relationship to the lower marginal edge of the front wall member 26, as will be evident. For purposes which will be apparent hereinafter, it is a particular feature of the present invention that the front wall member 26 is provided with a free end edge portion 32 formed by severing or otherwise separating the upper side extremities of the front wall member from the end wall members 24 and 22 such as is indicated by the reference character 34 in FIG. 2 and which portion 32 is folded back upon the upper marginal edge portion 36 of the front wall 26 as may be seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 so as to provide a relatively wide reinforced portion of the front wall member 26 which is immediately above the slot ZSQ PreferabIy, the folded over portion 32 is adhered'or otherwise secured to the opposing face of the upper marginal edge portion 36 by means of adhesive or the like so as to present, substantially completely between the end wall members 22 and 24, the double thickness reinforced upper marginal edge portion of the front wall 26 which, as hereinbefore stated, extendsupwardly fromclosely adjacent the slot 28. I 1

Suitably secured along the lower marginal edge of the front wall member 26 is a cutting member 38 which preferably is provided with a serrated lower cutting edge 40 extending alongthe lower front edge of the container portion, substantially as is shown.

The cover assembly includes a top wall member 42 whose rear edge joins the rear wall member 20. at the upper rear edge of the container assembly as indicated by the reference character 44 so as to form a hinge for the cover assembly thereat. The cover assembly ineludes depending outer end covering wall portions 46,

48 which are adapted to overlie the opposite end walls 22 and 24 of the receptacle portion of the container and which are joined integrally along their forward corner edges 50 and 52 with the opposite ends of a front cover wall portion 54. It will be appreciated that the rearward edges 56 of the cover wall portions 46 and 48 extend downwardly from the hinge line 44 and that the I lower edges 58 may extend diagonally downwardly as indicated to intersect with the front cover wall portion 54 at the points 60'and 62 which are disposed above the bottom wall 18 but below the slot 28. Between the points 60 and 62, there is a line of perforations P which initially joins the lower marginal edge of the front cover wall portion 54 to a sealing and protecting strip which includes a first portion 64 joined, through the line of perforations P to the front cover wall portion 54 and which extends downwardly from the line of perforations P to the front lower edge of the container incovering relationship to the cutting-element 38, and a second portion 66 which underlies the receptacle portion and is adhesively secured thereto as is indicated for example by the reference character 68 in FIG. 3.

lnitially, the assembly appears as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 and when the consumer desires to use the contents of the container, the strip portion 66 is separated by stripping it away from the bottom wall portion 18 at the adhesive joining portions 68 and then the entire sealing and protecting strip portion is severed by tearing it along the line of perforations P, exposing a cutting edge free from contamination. As packaged, the free end edge 30 of the roll material R is issued or threaded through the slot 28, as is indicated clearly in FIG. 3, a relatively stiff reinforcing edge or tab portion 70 is secured to the extremity of the portion 30 as is shown in FIG. 2 so as to allow the sheet material initially to be easily grasped and pulled downwardly through the slot 28 when the cover 14 is hinged back as is shown in FIG. 2. Thereafter, the cover assembly is closed upon the receptacle portion so that the lower marginal edge of the front cover wall portion 54, below the slot 28, defines with the portion of the front wall member 26 below the slot 28 a guiding and smoothing channel closely sandwiching the free end edge portion of the sheet material therebetween, as can be seen for example in FIG. 3. At this point, of course, the sealing and protecting strip extension has been stripped away and the sheet material will extend below the lower marginal edge portion of the front cover wall portion 54 as defined by the tear along the line of perforations T so that the extremity of the free end edge portion 30 may be easily grasped without lifting the cover assembly 14. While the packaging and dispensing container is grasped in one hand with the thumb or fingers thereof pressing the front cover wall portion 54 against the reinforced upper marginal edge of the front wall member 2621s provided by the doubled portion 32, 36 thereof, the other hand pulls the free end edge of the sheet to unroll a desired length thereof, whereafter the normal severing action is effected along the cutting edge 40 of the cutting member 38. During this operation, because the reinforced upper edge portion of the front wall member 26 is relatively stiff and does not readily bow inwardly, the aforementioned smoothing and guiding channel or slot below the slot 28 through which the sheet material issues closely sandwiches the sheet material and prevents it from wrinkling, bunching or otherwise deforming so as to render the dispensing and subsequent cutting or tearing action difficult.

What is claimed is:

l. A packaging and dispensing container for a roll of sheet material, comprising in combination:

a receptacle portion of elongate generally rectangu-' lar form, said receptacle portion including a bottom wall member, a rear wall member, opposite end wall members, and a front wall member, all cooperatively presenting an open-topped receptacle for receiving a roll of sheet material such as wrapping foil and/or the like, said front wall member having an elongate slot therein extending between said opposite end wall members and spaced above said bottom wall and through which the free end of such roll of sheet material is issued;

a cover assembly, said cover assembly including a top wall member having its rearward edge joined with the upper edge of said rear wall member so as to hinge with respect thereto, a front cover wall portion depending from the forward edge of said top wall member normally .in covering relation to a portion of said front wall member, and outer end covering wall portions joining the corresponding ends of said top wall member and said front cover wall portion and normally in covering relation to upper portions of said opposite end wall members, said front cover wall portion having a lower edge normally located below. said slot and above said bottom wall member to provide a lower marginal edge portion in face-to-face juxtaposition with an area of said front wall member immediately below said slot whereby to position and retain a portion of thefree edge of said sheet material in flatwise condition therebetween; and

a cutting blade member secured to the lower marginal edge of said front wall member to allow a desired length of sheet material which has been pulled from the roll thereof to be severed from such roll.

2. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 1 including a sealing and protecting strip joined to said lower edge of said front cover wall portion along a line of perforations so as to be removable therefrom, said strip including a first portion overlying the lower marginal edge of said front wall member and said cutting blade member, and a second portion underlying the forward marginal edge region of said bottom wall, and adhesive means for removably attaching said second portion against said forward marginal edge region of said bottom wall.

3. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 2 wherein said front wall member includes a portion immediately above said slot which is of double thickness.

4. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 3 wherein said double thickness portion of the front wall member is formed by a folded-over upper extremity thereof. I

5. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said front wall member includes an upper wall portion immediately above said slot which is joined at its opposite ends to said opposite end wall members and an extension flap which is free from attachment to said opposite end walls, said extension flap being folded down upon and in face-to-face relation to said upper wall portion, and means securing said extension flap to said upper wall portion to provide a double thickness reaction surface immediately above said slot. 

1. A packaging and dispensing container for a roll of sheet material, comprising in combination: a receptacle portion of elongate generally rectangular form, said receptacle portion including a bottom wall member, a rear wall member, opposite end wall members, and a front wall member, all cooperatively presenting an open-topped receptacle for receiving a roll of sheet material such as wrapping foil and/or the like, said front wall member having an elongate slot therein extending between said opposite end wall members and spaced above said bottom wall and through which the free end of such roll of sheet material is issued; a cover assembly, said cover assembly including a top wall member having its rearward edge joined with the upper edge of said rear wall member so as to hinge with respect thereto, a front cover wall portion depending from the forward edge of said top wall member normally in covering relation to a portion of said front wall member, and outer end covering wall portions joining the corresponding ends of said top wall member and said front cover wall portion and normally in covering relation to upper portions of said opposite end wall members, said front cover wall portion having a lower edge normally located below said slot and above said bottom wall member to provide a lower marginal edge portion in face-to-face juxtaposition with an area of said front wall member immediately below said slot whereby to position and retain a portion of the free edge of said sheet material in flatwise Condition therebetween; and a cutting blade member secured to the lower marginal edge of said front wall member to allow a desired length of sheet material which has been pulled from the roll thereof to be severed from such roll.
 2. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 1 including a sealing and protecting strip joined to said lower edge of said front cover wall portion along a line of perforations so as to be removable therefrom, said strip including a first portion overlying the lower marginal edge of said front wall member and said cutting blade member, and a second portion underlying the forward marginal edge region of said bottom wall, and adhesive means for removably attaching said second portion against said forward marginal edge region of said bottom wall.
 3. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 2 wherein said front wall member includes a portion immediately above said slot which is of double thickness.
 4. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 3 wherein said double thickness portion of the front wall member is formed by a folded-over upper extremity thereof.
 5. A packaging and dispensing container as defined in claim 1 wherein said front wall member includes an upper wall portion immediately above said slot which is joined at its opposite ends to said opposite end wall members and an extension flap which is free from attachment to said opposite end walls, said extension flap being folded down upon and in face-to-face relation to said upper wall portion, and means securing said extension flap to said upper wall portion to provide a double thickness reaction surface immediately above said slot. 